Over 100 firearms and ammunition found in Mpumalanga house

Law enforcement officials have arrested a man and confiscated 106 guns and over 1 700 rounds of ammunition from his house in Elukwatini in rural Mpumalanga.

Gugu Boy Elias Mnisi (67) has been charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, and for contravening the Firearms Control Act of South Africa.

Mnisi was released on R6 000 bail when he appeared in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The matter was postponed to April 10.

Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli says a multi-disciplinary operation, consisting of various police units and officials from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), led to Mnisi’s arrest.

He explains that law enforcement received information that firearms were being stored at the man’s house and that he was part of a Pretoria-based security company that was suspected of being non-compliant with PSIRA regulations.

A warrant was obtained to search the house. The weapons found include 14 rifles, eight shotguns and 84 pistols. The ammunition found included 718 9mm pistol rounds, 921 rifle rounds and 65 shotgun shells.

The firearms were not kept inside a safe, but stored underneath a bed and inside a wardrobe, says Mdhluli.

The authorities also discovered that licences for some of the firearms, which were allegedly owned by the security company, had already expired. Allegedly, Mnisi could not account for about 20 firearms.

“In addition, the team members established that he did not have licences for four pistols, which had ammunition, hence he was arrested and charged accordingly. Part of the probe is to understand how he got hold of these firearms,” says Mdhluli.

He adds that the firearms will undergo ballistics testing to determine if they were used in the commission of crimes.